From the WGBH Forum Network: "Some events so powerfully capture our attention that they command our collective energies long after the event itself. The Soviet launch of the Sputnik I satellite on October 4, 1957 was one such event: a technical achievement that challenged our assumptions and priorities, and, in particular, prompted a national reconsideration of education policies and science instruction. This forum commemorates the 50th anniversary of Sputnik and explores its lessons.Panelists consider how Sputnik, as a "focusing event," served to galvanize the American public, policymakers, and educators around reforming science teaching, and how the lessons from Sputnik can inform our responses to contemporary focusing events, from global warming to terrorism threats, in order to address the science education challenges of the future. Speakers include: Frank Baumgartner, professor of political science at Pennsylvania State University; John Rudolph, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; Tina Grotzer, assistant professor of education; Brent Maddin, doctoral student; and Rebecca Miller, doctoral student. "